Spotlight on Emma Ward
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The disabled Traveller from Athenry in Co Galway has addressed the Seanad, appeared on panel discussions, spoken at Electric Picnic about Disability Rights and writes regularly about the challenges she encounters as a wheelchair user.
But what ignited that passion for activism and advocacy that began in her late teens?
“It was the birth of my nephew Patrick five years ago,” she told Spoke Out.
“He was born with the same condition as me (Hurler Syndrome) and I thought I want to make life better for him.
“When he was born something clicked in me. I struggled to grow up in a country that wasn’t made for me. It wasn’t an inclusive world, and I don’t want that for him”.
The youngest of six children, Emma, who also has scoliosis, has been using a wheelchair since the age of 11.
“I know what I went through, and we need to do much better as a country in how we treat people with disabilities, in terms of making people with disabilities equal”.
She credits a project she did with comedian, writer and podcaster Martin ‘Beanz’ Ward in 2022 – Through Our Eyes Photography – for giving her the confidence to challenge herself and venture into the world of advocacy.
“That really was the start of my activism, I knew I wanted to do something when Patrick was born but didn’t know exactly how to get into advocacy. I was trying to figure out the way to go. The project with Martin pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
“For example, when I was growing up, while I wasn’t bullied, I was ‘sneered at’ for being in a chair and so I tried not to show my wheelchair, and I never wanted to be photographed in my wheelchair because I didn’t want my wheelchair to be seen. For this project with Martin, I knew I was going to have to push myself and when he took the photo of me I never felt more powerful.”
She added: “I came into activism not knowing anything and not knowing anybody, but I think it is so important that the voices of young people with the lived experience are heard. We are in a different world now to the older generation.”
“My generation, I believe needs to start speaking out. We can help to influence change. We want politicians to listen to us. I strongly believe we could help make the country a lot better for people with disabilities.”
The IWA member, who is very active on social media and co-hosts her own podcast, would like to see more disabled people working in the media and has just completed a year in the Galway Technical Institute in Global Media and online journalism, with the hope being to do a level 6 next year.
“I want to have a presence online, I want to work in journalism, to be the voice that I didn’t have representing me when I was growing up, for others in the same situation.”
Disability Awareness Training should be initiated by the government as a must, she believes, in every sector of life from workplaces to hospitals, restaurants to schools.
“I have experience of going to hospitals but instead of talking to me they look at my mother and ask my mother questions about me because I am in a wheelchair. This must change. Disability Awareness Training is needed.”
Access for people with disabilities also needs to be addressed. “I love my independence, but the many problems around access is a huge deterrent to achieving that. There should be better public transport, there should also be better access to personal assistants which we also need.”
“I have scoliosis, I have seen the waiting lists, it should be managed better. I waited 11 years for a hip replacement, I know what it is like to wait for something.”
How would she like to see Ireland change? “My ultimate goal for the next generation of people with disabilities is that they can get up in the morning and go out and live their lives independently and not have to bat an eyelid. That access would be so good that they would not have to pre-book anything, that they would have the ease of just living”
You can follow Emma on X (formerly Twitter) at @emmawardjourno and on Instagram at @emmawardjournalist.
A proud member of the travelling community, Emma also hosts a podcast ‘Mincéirs Paving the Way’ with Latisha McCrudden.
